Missing in Action or not?
by Ragna Katharina
Summary: In a galaxie far far away, a small boy finds out that his dad had gone MIA nine years ago and runs off to rescue him. Luke Vader story, AU
1. Chapter 1

Challenge Rules : Vader, MIA Vader is missing in action. It's up to Luke to find him. Your story can be set in any time period, and Luke's motives for going after Vader can be anything from revenge to concern. The goal with this challenge is to come up with a creative, yet believable, explanation for Vader's disappearance.

Many thanks also to the great folks on the Luke/Vader Yahoo group especially Carrie and Gwen who are so kind to proofread my story.

Author's Note : This is not exactly part of the challenge, it is more derived from the MIA Challenge.

**Missing in Action or not?**

by Iejasu

(iejasuarcor.de)

Star Wars etc. belongs to George Lucas. I don't earn anything by this and it's just for fun. I put everything back into the shelf like a good girl when I am ready :)

**Chapter I – Just a scrap of paper**

_**Dear Mr. Lars,**_

_**Reference is made to the previous communications from this office in which you were informed that your half brother, Commander Anakin Skywalker, JP 987909876 , became missing in action on GSD. 329,6. A corrected report has been received that he became missing in action on Mustafar. The report contained no other information.**_

_**May I again extend my sympathy during this period of uncertainty.**_

_**Sincerely yours,**_

_**Gareth Lionder**_

_**Adjutant General**_

_**Republican Forces**_

Luke stared on the scrap of paper that at one time had been roughly shoved into that panel, obviously as a cheap insulation. Now that the panel was removed in order to be repaired, it had fallen out.

It was standard paper, yellowish, crumpled and thorn at the edges. The little boy carefully flatted the letter on the calf of his leg, careful not to damage it any further.

That was a letter about his father! Why had Uncle Owen used it for insulation like any old garbage? Had his dad meant so little to him?

Luke tried to remember how the old Galactic Standard Dates were converted into their normal Dates. 329.9 meant...that letter was nine years old! Just as old as he was! He hid the letter in his shirt and ran to his room. His calculator was lying on the table and he quickly punched in the date and converted it ... it dated back just 3 days before Luke had been born!

Again he took out the letter, flattening it again on the top of his desk, taking in every single letter. Commander Anakin Skywalker? But Uncle Owen always said that his father had been a navigator on a spice freighter, not a Commander of the ... Republican Army. His head began to spin. Uncle Owen had lied to him; Aunt Beru had lied to him as well? Was his dad alive? Missing in Action? He had seen a movie on the holonet, missing in action meant that he could be alive, held somewhere as a prisoner, forgotten! His dad was forgotten?! Even his uncle wanted to forget about him? This was so mean! Luke stared at the letter and became angry. This was so mean! Uncle Owen was always so mean! He never wanted to talk about his dad. Only when Luke did something wrong, uncle Owen yelled at him "Just like your father!" Especially when weird things happened like the time Luke became angry and suddenly the table began to rattle. Uncle Owen had shaken him so badly his neck and head had been hurting for the whole day. Aunt Beru was not so bad, she had tried to calm Uncle Owen saying it was just a little earthquake.

Luke looked down at the letter. Mustafar. Maybe he could do some research on the computers in school tomorrow.

Uncle Owen glanced with a mix of skepticism and annoyance when Luke arrived unusual energetic and early next morning at the speeder to be driven to Anchorhead. He always suspected trouble when Luke was agitated but this time it was even more disquieting.

"Luke, you are not going to cause any trouble! Is that understood?"

The sound of his voice made Luke wince a little. He knew that Uncle Owen was strict and quick with the belt. "No, uncle. I won't do anything bad. I promise!"

Owen sighed. The boy was so difficult. Sometimes he wished that this creepy old wizard had never given him the boy. It was not as if they were real blood relatives. And the Empire was constantly searching for "strange occurrences". A neighbor on the other side of Dune Sea had been in prison for a lousy parlor trick he did on his kids party, with transparent strings and such. His children had told other kids in school that their dad could make things fly. That had been enough to bring a bunch of Stormtroopers to his farm. When Sheldon finally came back, he was changed. And the limp certainly did not help either. If someone found out his boy could actually do real tricks, their life was forfeit. He sighed again. Why was Beru unable to conceive children? Her longing for a child had led to this situation. One glance at the baby and her hormones were triggered. That damn wizard had counted on that. Maternal instincts. Even Owen did not dare to argue with those.

And now they had a "time bomb" under their roof. A strict hand and punishments would hopefully take care of that problem. He firmly wanted to believe that a good bit of beating would cure the boy eventually even if Beru disapproved. He was the protector of this family. It was his duty and it was her fault that they had to feed a "freak" that endangered them all.

The public school in Anchorhead was a small, neglected building on the outskirts. Most farmers within reasonable distance sent their children to this school. There were actually only two classrooms, and the equipment was old. Mostly gifts from small companies, discarded computers barely fit as text processors, old chairs and tables. Parents with more money would never consider this barrack a school and sent their children on private schools off world.

Well, Luke would become a farmer that was the safest path, and apart from basic reading, writing and mathematics there was nothing he would need when he grew up.

School was boring, as always. Luke looked out of the window into the endless sands. The few speeders that past their school building where dusty and worn. He had seen pictures of other worlds, green worlds with trees and lots of water. Water as much as one wanted, water even to take baths, not just these sonic showers everybody used on Tatooine.

During the break Luke tried to access the library though his desktop computer. It took quite a while because this crappy machine was incredibly slow and some keys were not working properly, you had to punch them several times until they accepted the input. Mustafar. Was there a world called Mustafar? And then it slowly appeared on his screen. He fidgeted anxiously. A picture of a red and black world came up, looking even more unpleasant than Tatooine.

Luke read the text below with a dry throat and a fast beating heart:

_**Mustafar** is a volcanic planet in the Outer Rim. The planet is covered by hundreds of volcanic calderas, most of which are in a state of constant eruption. The volcanic activity is caused by gravitational stresses on the planet created by the two gas giants that affect its orbit. An automated energy and mineral collection facility on the planet is used by the Empire as mining colony and detention center for criminals._

A detention center for criminals? His dad had been a Commander of the Republican Army. The Empire had defeated the Republic; he had listened to the conversations of the adults. Especially when Uncle Owens friends came along each Natunda for a "friendly game of sabacc". Would a "Commander of the Republican Army" be a "criminal"? Yes! Luke was sure his dad was there! He was in prison and waited for him! He had to go to Mustafar. He had to save his dad!


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2 – Dalarissah Fever**

Vader studied the latest reports on the activities of the Rebellion. Recently, they were laying low and there were no signs of any surviving Jedi. All he had to do was read reports and check on the progress of certain projects the Emperor had taken interest in.

One in particular was the "Death Star." It was one of Palpatine's pet projects. In Vader's opinion that technological terror was just a waste of resources, but Palpatine had made quite clear that his input was not appreciated.

At least Palpatine allowed him his own pet project. It gave him enormous pleasure to hunt down slave traders and ensure the Anti Slavery Act was enforced on even the most dusty pile of dirt in this forsaken galaxy. That gave him some satisfaction. Palpatine sometimes teased him to be sentimental but Vader had a different opinion. A steady society had to be able to exist without slavery. Every person had to be allowed to work and actually earn money in return, choose his or her location and obey the Empire. The Jedi had never taken interest in the welfare of the people. They never stopped the slavery in the Outer Rims. When he went through the Jedi Archives on Coruscant he even found evidence that the Jedi financed "weapon factories", bought and sold weapons, and held quite a share in some of the most prominent companies in this galaxy. Mace Windu and Jarren Orontes were members of the supervisory board of Sienar Fleet. And some parts of Sienar Fleet contracted supply companies that used slaves! Hypocrites! So much for peace and freedom in the Galaxy.

The new Anti Slavery Act made quite clear that any company, in one way or another that profited from slave work, would have to pay an enormous fine. Money was the only thing that made any company consider its action as lives certainly did not.

He had seen the slave camps on Kessel. The men and women there had lost every spark of life in their eyes, hollow eyes without hope, not even enough spirit to rejoice their arriving freedom. Those people had done nothing! They were no criminals, they were just slaves that were not useful enough to be put into better positions or that had grown too old. Kessel was a place to die. The waste disposal site for flesh and bones. He had made sure that only real criminals would be condemned to this hell. The first new inmates had been the former slave guards of these mines.

Now every pirate, rebel or slaver was sure that if he got caught he would either die at once or die slowly under a leash on Kessel, Mustafa or Nirahem. Thus was the justice of the Empire!

He browsed though a couple of reports on his data pad.

The newest campaign to discover any surviving Jedi was quite ingenious. It was a simple inoculation that had to be made on every spaceport. A new, highly contagious disease was spreading though the Galaxy, Dalarissah Fever. Regularly horrible reports about victims where everywhere in the holonet. In fact, there was no such thing as Dalarissah Fever. It was just a simple genetic test, which also tested for midicloridians, if there were any. In addition it made sure, if any Jedi decided to procreate, that the offspring could be taken care of in time. Schools and Universities would follow soon. The Jedi would become extinct.

In a strange way it made him melancholy. He was all there was left of them. He, the Dark Lord of Sith, was in fact the last remaining Jedi Knight. And he would close the lid on their coffin. Any offspring of his own was out of the question. The accident on Mustafar had made that quite sure. So he was the undertaker of the Force. No more, no less. A dying, burnt twig was all that was left of 10,000 years of history. He could not help but smile with morbid fascination.

Lord Vader rose from his seat. Sitting for more than a few minutes in his armor was painful, at least in a normal chair. His hyperbolic chambers had special seats that reduced the pressure of the armor on his burned tissue. But he could see where it would eventually lead. His spine already displayed signs of early deterioration, only constant exercise kept his body in motion. The dull, throbbing pain had become a part of him, much like the beating of his heart. There was no release, there was only suffering. There was no peace, there was only the anger. There was no hope, there was only the Dark Side!

Well, one could not deny that the Sith kept from sugarcoating the realities of life. Quite in opposition to the Jedi Knights who said one thing and did another.

A soft knock on the door dragged him out of his reverie. He was almost grateful for the disturbance. If he had nothing to do, he tended to brood.

His personal aide entered silently.

"My lord, this...this woman is still standing in front of the castle. She refuses to leave and asks for an audience with your lordship."

Vader tilted his head a little as to inquire for more information.

The P.A. already knew this gesture and continued, relieved that his lordship was at least willing to listen.

"My lord, maybe you remember the female that stood yesterday at the driveway when we arrived from the Imperial Palace? She has not left yet, despite of the horrible weather outside. She stood there the whole night, asking for an audience."

Vader was in absolutely no mood for charity.

"Let her rot in the rain." With a gesture he sent his P.A. outside. What insolence of a female to disturb him with her petty problems?

A small smirk released itself below the mask. It would be interesting to see how long it would take her to realize that it was useless. He was quite sure that his guards were already making bets.

Well, this promised to be amusing.

He continued working but occasionally he would log into the security system. There were cameras installed throughout the castle and also at every possible entrance. He switched though the front gates until he found the camera that showed the right angle of the main front gate.

An almost frail female, dripping wet, walked up and down. She obviously did that to keep some kind of warmth. Her clothes seemed worn out and her hair stuck in unpleasant lumps on her head. Well, as far as he could tell from what he saw, her figure was not too bad. She was probably not older than 27 or 28 and the wet piece of fabric displayed more than was usually wise among soldiers. But his guards knew better than to leave their post in order to fulfill their hormonal induced urge to procreate. So in fact she was probably more secure standing there in front of his gate than in any other part of Coruscant with that outfit.

He switched off the monitor and returned to his work and soon completely forgot about the female.

Two days later he left the castle for a meeting and in his peripheral vision, while sitting in the back seat of his transport, showed him a ghostly white female, frail and sick looking, trying to fight her way though the guards in order to reach him. She certainly did not succeed. If someone like her would be able to even touch his vehicle with one digit, he would have him or her executed for failing. He gave her no more than a few hours. Then she would finally realize the futility of her intentions.

The next evening his comlink beeped.

"My lord, this is Walters from Security. I apologize for the inconvenience but..."

Sergeant Walters from Sec was an old gunnery sergeant, battle hardened and reliable. Vader instantly wondered what made him use a direct link usually only used for emergencies.

He opened the link and answered. "What is it, Walters?"

"Sorry, My lord but the female.."

Ahh, the female. What use was there calling him just to tell that she finally had come to her senses? He took in a deep breath. There was something else. He waited for the sergeant to continue.

"The female left just a moment ago, well, she leaves every four or five hours for the park. Well, I think she looks for a bush or so...But this time her walk was a bit... well, and she has not come back yet."

"What makes you think she has not come to her senses, Walters?" Vader inquired with unusual patience.

"Well, My lord, I've seen a couple of youngsters on spice not long ago and the city guards are not patrolling as usual. There was an incident at the spaceport. Also I have heard some loud laughter outside. It did not sound good, if you excuse that expression, My lord."

"Okay Walters. Get a replacement and investigate. Keep me updated."

Vader switched on the camera and just saw Walters leaving his post. Lord Vader enhanced his senses by locking into the Force, which he usually avoided in such vastly populated areas. It tended to give him headaches from sensory overflow. He felt too much despair, pain, fear, lust, hunger...he tried to sort it out but he could only feel a conglomeration of emotions. Until he was more familiar with someone's force signature, it was almost impossible to keep them apart, even for someone like him. So all he could do was wait for Walter to report back.

"My lord, the youngsters are standing around, laughing and kicking something around. I think it is the woman. She is almost unconscious."

"Walters, get her out of there. If needed, get reinforcements. Proceed."

Vader heard an actual chuckle on the link and lifted a mental eyebrow. "Reinforcements, My lord? For this bunch of snots? I deserve to be shot if I could not teach these knock kneaded pieces of spice using snots a lesson or two."

Vader waited for five minutes then his comlink beeped again.

"Yes?"

"My lord, I have called for the guards to pick up the leftovers and now I have a female here with nowhere to go..."

Vader snorted inwardly. Walters was definitely too long under his command.

"Take her inside. You may tell my housekeeper to activate the second med droid to check on her. And I believe there are guest rooms somewhere."

"Yes, My lord!"

Vader knocked deliberately on the tabletop; he had long ago discovered that it made the exact sound as if he turned off his comlink. He was just curious. This way he could listen in what would follow.

"Hey, Gray, help me carrying her inside. I told you the old man would not leave her outside forever. Just show that you have a spine and he is quite okay..." He heard some shuffling noises and some grunts. Obviously Walters was lifting the female.

"'Tis okay, little lady. Vader will help you. Everything is going to be just fine."

Vader silently switched off his comlink, shaking his head. Was he already that obvious? Or was Walters really too long under his command? Should he replace him? He decided against it. He needed reliable men and every one under his command was hand picked by himself.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3 – Mos Eisley Space Port**

Luke prepared with great care, at least for a nine year old. He packed his school bag with everything that was important to him when he left next morning for school. He did not intend to come back, ever. When uncle Owen drove him to school, he jumped out and walked slowly towards the barrack until his uncle had driven off. Then he turned and went the other way. He needed to get to Mos Eisley. He knew there were public transports but these usually cost credits he did not have. He arrived at the terminal and saw a group of tourists standing there. Maybe these off worlders would provide him with a ride if he was cunning.

He was small enough to hide behind a very fat lady and entered the tour transport. The ride continued and the next stop was Mos Espa. When everyone got out he crawled under a bench in the very back of the transport. He could hear the rambling of the guide.

"Anchorhead is a settlement that was originally founded over 200 years ago for independent settlers. You found there were less indoor wall paintings. We are now visiting to Mos Espa. The southern part of Mos Espa should be very interesting for you. We will visit an authentic slave district..."

The guides voice faded away as he led the group away from the transport. Luke used his backpack as a cushion and tried to get a little sleep. He had been too excited to sleep last night and the bus was nice and cool, a luxury normal settlers rarely experienced.

When the group returned nobody discovered the small body sleeping peacefully. Luke woke up when the transport continued its tour.

"The next stop is our last one for today. We are now arriving at Mos Eisley Space Port. From here you will be taken to Dantooine to experience the lush grasslands, rivers and lakes of the other inhabited world in this system."

Luke grinned. Mos Eisley! This was simply perfect. He knew that tourists eventually go to the spaceport. As his uncle always said: "Nobody sane would stay longer than necessary on Tatooine!"

When the tourists left the transport, Luke waited for a moment, and then silently sneaked out of the transport.

The air that welcomed him was hot and dusty but he actually enjoyed it because he had already started to freeze, not being used to that air conditioning the tourists had on their transport.

Luke looked around. A transport to Mustafar would be hard to get, that much was sure.

He went into a cantina. Maybe there would be someone to help him. A lady with very little clothes on, stared at him with a strange expression. The air stank very much like the living room at home after uncle Owens sabacc nights. Only this was much worse. Deathsticks and beer, he knew that smell.

The lady bent down and looked at him. "Are you not a little small for a space pirate?"

Luke blushed a little. "I am Luke Skywalker. I need a transport to Mustafar!"

The female started laughing as if he had made a very bad joke. "To Mustafar? Just join anyone of these crews, eventually you will end up in Mustafar. Especially if you've got a stupid captain."

Luke did not understand but some people did. Angry or amused glances where shot in her direction.

"Seliah, don't mention Mustafar! It's bad luck!"

Luke went from table to table, asking for a captain that would take him to Mustafar or at least to a planet within that system. He felt a little stupid and some of the strange men simply pushed him away, using words his Aunt would certainly not approve of.

He was just about to give up when a grubby man approached him. "You wanna go to Mustafar? I can take you there if you like. My crew is a lil' short. You could work for your passage, if you like!"

This was like a miracle! Luke nodded in appreciation. "I can do a lot of things. I can even repair machines. I am good at that! And I can cook and clean if you want!"

"Sure boy, we can use you!" The chuckle from the others at the table made Luke's hair raise a little but he ignored it. He had to save his dad. If he would run now, just because he had a strange feeling, what would his dad think of him? He needed to be brave!

When he went out with Captain Goresh, the strange woman looked at him and tried to say something but somebody took her arm and pulled her back.

As they were about to enter the spaceport, the captain turned towards his newest crewmember.

"Do you have your ID?"

Luke froze. He never had any ID, these were only required when going off world.

The captain smirked. "Well, boy, then we have to be clever, don't we? You owe me!"

One of the ports officials looked at the approaching crew and saw Luke.

"Who's that boy?"

The captain grinned. "That is my nephew. The lil' bugger has been kicked out by 'is mom so I take'm in. I'm sure you wouldn't want a nice kiddo like 'im to live on the streets!"

Luke could see that some credits where exchanged, silently and without much fuss.

The official looked down at Luke and smiled. "Well, boy, your uncle surely is a nice man, is he not? You should be grateful!"

Again Luke had that strange feeling that he had missed something along the way.

The port official held the inoculation needle in his hand, looking at it. "Well, 'cause you have no ID, I can't give you your shot either. But I'm sure you got yours at school."

Luke was relieved that the nasty needle went back into his bag. He hated injections.

When the crew entered the "Crimson Spire" Luke was both excited and afraid. He had the feeling it would be a long time until he saw Tatooine again.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4 – Vader's Shelter for the Oppressed and Mentally Challenged **

Vader punched the access code to the barracks and Sergeant Walters face appeared on the screen.

"Walters, tell Levellen to bring that female. I want to get rid of her as soon as possible."

The sergeant nodded. "Yes, in a moment, my lord. The men are currently casting lots regarding her."

Vader's breath got stuck in his throat. "They're doing WHAT?"

Walters could not help but grin as he lifted up a shirt. "We have a lottery and who wins can donate something to dress for that little lady. Her dress was really nothing but rags after last night!"

Lord Vader slowly let out his breath. "Well, I see. All right, as soon as she is wrapped in anything, even it is nothing more than brown paper, tell Levellen to take her to my office. And tell him not ..."

Walters nodded. "Yes, my lord, I tell him not to get his knickers in a twist."

Vader cut the connection, sighing. Walters was definitely too long in his service.

The rain had stopped. The morning was actually not too bad, apart from the usual pollution that constantly bothered Coruscant. With almost no natural growing plant life left, the air filters in the environmental cleaning facilities had to work hard to keep the atmosphere reasonably clean.

If one arrived from another world that still harbored an authentic biomass, not an artificially reconstructed environment, one smelled the difference. The air was kind of sterile. After a while one got used to it.

Arleena Raven-Lionsgate woke up and actually felt warm, dry and comfortable. She looked around suddenly remembering what happened last night. Those teenagers that attacked her, shoving her around as if she was a hoverball. She checked her self out, but apart from some bruises and a couple of cuts on her hands, she was fine. She was actually wearing some kind of enormous hospital gown.

She flinched when she heard the whoosh sound of an approaching droid.

It was a medical droid but instead of talking to her, this thing was silently scanning her. She saw that his vocal equipment had been removed. Someone definitely hated talking droids here. Not that she could blame that person, talking droids could become a pain in the neck.

There was a soft knock at the door, then it slid open but nobody entered. She just heard a voice.

"Madam, are you decent?"

Arleena could not help but chuckle. "Yes, I am decent!"

A small scurrying man with a nervous expression entered. "I apologize for disturbing you but if you would get dressed. Lord Vader gave orders to take you to him as soon as you awakened."

Arleena jumped out of the bed, not realizing that she still wore that ghastly hospital gown. The man shrieked, holding up his hand as if being blinded. "Ahem, Madam, could you please cover yourself!" The sound of his voice revealed a certain amount of sheer panic and horror.

She looked down and shrieked. That damn gown was enormous and had almost fallen off, due to its size. She quickly grabbed it and held it up. Who ever this thing belonged to must have been the size of a small hutt, though she was much too excited to bother a lot. "Is this Lord Vader's castle? Has he finally agreed to see me? Where are my clothes?" She looked around but was unable to find her dress, well, what was left of her dress.

She heard an amused grunt from the small man. "Sorry, Madam, but thiiisss rag was not a dress. Unfortunately we have no females in this castle so we had to ... improvise." He held some clothes in his hand and while still covering his eyes he waved them in her direction. She quickly grabbed them and ran to the next door, holding up the small tent she was wearing. "I'll be ready in a second!"

Levellen sighed deeply. Of all the strange creatures that sometimes arrived in this castle, this was the most annoying one! A female, here! He shuddered violently.

The trousers legs were too long and the shirt was very baggy but it felt nice to have clean clothes. She ran after the strange little man, trying to keep up as he was walking quite quickly, mumbling under his breath.

They stopped at a normal black door. It opened without a sound and revealed a business like office. Nothing elegant, just light gray walls, a computer terminal and a shelf with data pads. No private items, no decoration. The figure dominating the room sat in an enormous chair that looked a bit strange. She had never seen Lord Darth Vader this close but there he was, staring at her with his black, fathomless mask. The hiss of his respirator was the only sound audible.

She took a deep breath and entered the office. Behind her the doors closed silently.

For weeks she had tried to figure out what to say, how to start but now her head refused to reproduce the carefully chosen words and expressions. All she could do was blurt: "My lord, I need your help...!"

Vader looked at her, for the first time in almost a decade he had the feeling this female would jump at him if he was not really careful. He could not help but snort. "I suspected that much already. Maybe you could be more specific..."

She swallowed hard and started to explain.

Her husband was an imperial governor of a small remote system. Until recently nobody was really interested in that system but lately a new hyperspace route had been established, crossing though this system and that increased the value of it immensely. Cargo tax and tolls provided a great accretion of this formerly unknown system. Other governors started to envy her husband and that was when the trouble began. First minor incidents but then, one day, her husband was accused of being a traitor. First they laughed at the accusations. That laugh stopped abruptly when her husband was put under arrest. Arleena tried to hire the best lawyers she could get but nothing worked out. Either some other party bribed these lawyers in advance or they were simply not interested.

All she finally got was a young, inexperienced lawyer on her homeworld. Her husband was sentenced as a traitor and taken away to spend the rest of his life in a prison colony. She wrote petitions to the Emperor himself but there was no answer. She even spent a fortune trying to find some independent businessman who was rumored to be able to get prisoners out of these camps. But that had been nothing but a ruse. That shady man walked off with her money, never to return. In the end she had lost everything and sold the last bits of her possessions to get a passage for herself and her son to Coruscant.

"That's how I ended up here, my lord." She sighed deeply.

"That is quite a story, Madam. What do you expect me to do? You have given me no proof that your husband is not a traitor to the empire, except your word. And a wife would always cover up for her husband. On the other hand, do you actually know if your husband was innocent? Maybe he was operating behind your back."

She blurted instantly: "No, my lord, my Steve is no traitor!"

Vader nodded slowly. "I will look into that matter. If your husband is a traitor there is nothing I can or will do."

She nodded, trying to be calm. "Thank you, my lord."

He looked up. "Where are you and your son staying? My office needs some means to contact you."

Arleena frowned a little. "Well, we are currently in a small motel on the lower levels. But I have to find work first and get something else."

Vader tilted his head. "Talk to Levellen, I am sure he can offer you some work. Tell one of my men where to pick up your son. Plenty of space in this castle. Just make sure you are not disturbing the routines of his household. Is that clear?"

Arleena could hardly believe her ears. "Yes my lord, thank you, my lord..."

She stood there, still not moving. He waved her out but it seemed to escape her notice. She just stood there, transfixed.

He waved again...nothing...

"Madam...out. I will tell you when I find anything!"

She blinked several times. "Oh, yes...thank you..." Her smile definitely improved her looks but she still refused to move.

Vader sighed. "OUT!"

Finally her brain started to reboot as she nodded quickly, turned and almost ran against his office door. "Thank you my lord!" He saw her rubbing her nose as she left his office.

Vader stared at the door, shaking his head. Maybe he should rename his castle into "Vader's Shelter for the Oppressed and Mentally Challenged. He was obviously mentally challenged to agree to this.

Next time someone was standing at his front gate, he would tell Walters to shoot that person and be done with it.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5 – The Crimson Spire**

Luke felt the pressure as the ship launched. Unfortunately he had no chance to see though one of the few windows. He was shoved around and ended up in the kitchen, still a little confused. He came face to lens with a totally outdated KT Model, not much more than an overgrown mixer. The thing weeped and beeped, apparently annoyed that someone had entered its domain outside the usual feeding hours. Luke lifted a hand, trying to calm the kitchendroid. "Hey, I am here to help you, Kitchen!" He only hoped that this thing was voice controlled and not operated through ancient punch cards. To his relieve the droid seemed to understand him.

The kitchen was grimy and his aunt would probably have fainted by the smell alone but Luke tried not to bother, breathed though his nose and started peeling the bucket of ojama tubers.

"Goresh, what do you want to do with that kiddo?" The first officer slouched in his seat, watching the captain.

"Well, what do you think I'm goin' to do with that lil bugger..."

"Sell him to some brothel? Or maybe to some of the huge farm owning companies in the free sectors?"

"Well, the boy can work until we reach some kind of suitable destination. This way he is part of the crew and they cannot claim we're slave trading. When we get to the free sectors, I will inquire who pays the best price for a blond boy in pre puberty. There might we quite a list of prospective buyers. Especially if he is well fed and in a good condition."

Sekar grinned. "Well, shall he only work in the kitchen or can we train him a little in ...other arts as well?" He licked his lips in anticipation.

Goresh smiled but shook his head. "You have a taste for young flesh, don't you? But no, the boy would show signs of mistreatment and if we get boarded we need a happy boy that is eager to state he is part of the crew."

"What a pity..." Sekar saw his hope for entertainment fade away into the depths of space.

"Don't take it too hard. I might change my mind when we get to the free sectors. Okay?"

"Okay, boss. Just as you say." Sekar shrugged and started his calculations for the jump into hyperspace.

Goresh rubbed his chin looking out of the view port.

The free sectors where still a long way to go, even for a spaceship with hyperspace engines. Those sectors lay behind the Outer Rim. Few worlds, far apart and outside any jurisdiction of the Empire, they were the last resort for those who regarded Freedom as a right for the strong. None of these worlds had any sort of government. Refugees, criminals, deserters, anyone who neither fitted into the current government nor into any other government, fled to these sectors. Most of them did not survive the first year. Living conditions there either demanded that you were a ruthless killer constantly watching your back, or that you had enough money to hire ruthless killers to protect your hide. Those who walked in there without one of these prerequisites were lost. They would end up in one of the illegal slave camps or dead in the gutter. Occasionally young noble from the Empire would visit the Free sectors looking for new ways to amuse themselves. Goresh especially remembered a manhunt a couple of years ago. Somehow a young Jedi Padawan had been caught but instead of handing him over to the Empire they made him a "special occasion". Ten young nobles from the highest clientèle of the Empire chased the young padawan though the ruins that covered that planet. In order to make the hunt less dangerous, the tour operator had removed the eyes of the padawan. Still it took the youngsters three days to hunt him down and only the backup of an experienced bounty hunter ensured that none of the elusive customers got endangered.

Broadcasting the hunt in various holonet theaters on that planet made additional profit.

Well, the Free Sectors were still a place where a true businessman could thrive if he was strong and ruthless enough.

Goresh could hear the noise from the kitchen. Obviously the boy was trying to be useful. Well, he would certainly become useful in gaining a better hyper drive, sooner than he would know.

Only a few years ago business had been good in the war ridden Empire. But then Vader started to enforce some stupid Anti Slavery Act. For one thing this had rocketed the prices for slaves but it had also made it difficult to find any customers within the Empire. Goresh still wondered how a honest trade like slavery could be made illegal in such a short time. Since early space travel, slavery had provided good income for space farer that could stomach it. But somehow the Imperial Senate had suddenly banned any trade with sentient flesh and now even the trade with half sentient species like Wookies or Ewoks had been limited and needed a special admission.

On the other hand he had seen what happened to Slave Traders if they got caught. It was ugly. He heard even rumors that it was worse if one of Vader's ships caught them. If the black breeze oven caught someone personally, they would loose some limps for sure before being brought to Kessel. He had even heard of a guy that was gelded because he had used one of the slave boys. Gelded by a lightsaber, not a thought he liked to dwell on.

No, he would keep the lil' bugger happy and content until they reached the Free Sectors, that much was sure.

Luke carried large pots with some kind of stew out into the mess, or what could have been a mess hall if this ship was anything civilized. Everybody dug in, grunting and the sight was not one that could improve ones appetite. Luke looked strangely alien as he took his bowl and slowly ate his food.

"I hope you like the food. I got the recipe from my aunt."

He tried to sound eager but everybody seemed far too interested in the food to answer him. Luke continued eating, wondering where he was going to sleep onboard this ship and how long it would take them to reach Mustafar.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6 – Domestic Bliss**

Arleena watched her son playing in the center garden of Lord Vader's castle. It was almost a small park. All in all everything still seemed like a small miracle to her. She now lived two months in Lord Vader's Castle, helped the head housekeeper Levellen, had a small apartment together with her son and hoped that Lord Vader would keep up his end of the bargain. But then, what kind of bargain? He had promised her to look for evidence, but he had asked for nothing in return. Instead, he had vanished again. As far as she had encountered, he was usually gone, away on some mission, hardly coming back for a few days. Walters had become a good friend; he was a grumpy old Sarge with a lot of dry humor that rumbled around like a big bear. Moreover, Stanislav Levellen was more than funny in his special way. The soldiers teased him because of the way he was, but nobody seemed in any way offended by him. He was whining and panicking all the time, mumbling to himself how terrible everything was but she knew that the only time one had to worry was when he would stop whining.

Strange but among this universe of instability, this castle seemed, in all its strangeness a kind of refuge from all the hostility.

Levellen approached her. "Arleena, Darling. Would you do me a huge favor?"

Arleena turned and tilted her head, grinning. "Yes, certainly, Stanislav; what can I do for you?"

Levellen smirked and continued. "His Lordship comes home in about 2 hours but I had absolutely no time to dust in his rooms. Could you check on it? But, puleeezzee, deary, don't touch ANYTHING. I know you are a nosy little girl but his lordship goes rampant if someone touches just about ...a n y t h i n g ... private."

Arleena started to giggle. The way Levellen spoke, it almost sounded slippery. She went off to check for dust.

First, she demonstratively only stuck her head into his room, just in case Levellen had been wrong and someone was in Lord Vader's rooms but everything was dark and silent. She put one foot onto the thick carpet. Well, his private rooms were certainly a bit nicer than his office. Dark colors dominated everything but it had the feeling of a gentleman's refuge. Books, real books, not some data pads, filled the walls and there was even an open fireplace. She walked though the rooms, looking at the books and some items that lay around. His Lordship was a tidy guy, no socks lying around, and no dirty linen. Grinning she lifted a cushion to check for a discarded bra like there were often found in bachelors quarters. However, no evidence of any female invaders; she checked the other rooms. Suddenly she frowned. Where was the bedroom? She had not found any bed, not even a couch long enough to lay down for someone his size. Did he never sleep?

She turned again, trying to concentrate. The apartment was on the north wall of the castle; looking out of the window, she could see the balcony. However, where was the entrance to the balcony? There must be room she had missed. Tapping her lips, she turned in circles, trying to measure the room in constellation with the building. The bookshelves! There must be an entrance behind the bookshelves. She tried some books but nothing happened.

"Hmm, must be some weird title, I am sure!"

"Try '_Management Advice by D. Vader'_." ... The thought shot though her mind like a soft rumble. She first did not even realize it was not her own idea but something induced.

She giggled and pulled that book. The large shelf slid open without making a sound, revealing a hyperbaric chamber with a medical droid and a huge stretcher as well as a lot of medical equipment.

"Ouch, looks more like an OP..."

"Thank you, Madam; I am quite aware of the fact. Stating it is not really necessary."

This time Arleena jumped and turned around finding Lord Vader standing in the door, watching her. She tried the "innocent grin routine" but instantly felt like her son when she used to catch him with his hand in the cookie jar. "Oops...Sorry, milord. Levellen told me to dust in here. You are early." Lord Vader seemed far from impressed.

"Yes, indeed; now, Madam. If you would be so kind as to leave my rooms, I am sure they are adequately dusted. You probably have other duties someplace else."

She nodded eagerly and tried to get out of the apartment door where he still stood, waiting for her to leave. Unfortunately, certain parts of the female anatomy were not built retractable and so some of hers brushed strongly against him. She did not even notice, as he stood transfixed in the doorframe, staring at his breastplate that had gone off, beeping wildly and blinking in various colors.

He punched some buttons for the override and sighed deeply. "I really should have stayed on board."

Later that day he left for a meeting in the Emperor's Palace, it was a conference regarding certain information gained during his last mission. Obviously, the Alderaanian Royal Family harbored sympathies for the Rebellion even though they still gave no evidence of actively supporting it. He had visited Alderaan on his last journey. Bail Organa, the Viceroy of Alderaan was an acquaintance of General Kenobi's and Lord Vader remembered the man well.

However, the sight of their displayed domestic bliss made him feel ill. He had met their daughter, a 9 year old with evidently too much spunk than was good for her. He had the strong feeling this little monster would soon cause trouble. She had stared up to him, tapping her foot and demanding attention until her mother had dragged her away. He already dreaded the time this little monster would be an adult. It spelled trouble with a capital T.

Turning left, he went to the direction of the speeder hangar. The driver was probably already waiting. Deep in thought, he was not really watching while striding until his foot stepped on something that started to move on its own. Only the Force kept him to fall unpleasantly onto his backside.

The object of the near disaster hovered 3 meters in front of him. Who was using a hover board in the corridors? He heard some running in his back. Whoever caused this was bound to get into trouble. He lifted his arm and called upon the Force. Chris felt as if someone was grabbing his coat and dragging him backwards. He yelled and tried to pull free but the result was that he fell and slithered on his backside towards the black shadow he had wanted to avoid.

Lord Vader studied the boy for a moment, seeing nothing but an ordinary boy with brown eyes and a mob of unruly brown hair. This should be this son of his current "guest". Well, he certainly had the same affinity for trouble as his mother had. He pointed at the hover board. "I suppose this thing is yours?" The boy nodded with wide eyes.

"I will confiscate that thing. You are not allowed to play in the corridors of this castle. I will inform your mother in order to discipline you. Now leave." The boy jumped up and started running for his life. Lord Vader watched the boy disappearing quickly. He called upon the Force and the hover board flew into his hand. The driver was waiting and he was already late. He hated being late. Then he realized that there was a way to enhance his speed profoundly... He positioned the hover board on the ground and tested it carefully. "Well, let's see how fast this thing goes." He stepped on the board and kicked off the ground with the other.

He arrived at the meeting just in time. Nobody discovered the board that carefully tucked below the backseat of the speeder.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7 – Realizations**

Luke tossed the dirty rag into the cleaner. This was not fair! He was now two months on board and they were still somewhere in this galaxy and they had not even taken him outside. They said that the air outside was not good for kids and that they had no proper breathing mask. On board he felt far from comfortable. Sekar was constantly watching him and his eyes felt slimy on his back. He could not think of a better term to describe it.

He entered the cockpit. "The coffee, captain."

Goresh grunted and took a sip of the hot beverage.

Obviously, the captain was no mood to talk. But, Luke could not stand it anymore. "Sir, when are we reaching Mustafar?"

Goresh turned and stared at the boy. "Sith! Just tell me why you want on that slap of molten lava and stone?"

Luke winced because the captain had grabbed his arm and squeezed too strongly. "I need to go there, it is important! Really, really important!"

Sekar entered the cockpit and laughed. "Hey, has the little shit finally put some acid in your coffee?"

Goresh growled lowly. "Shut up, Sekar. Check the bag of the boy. I wanna know why this pest wants to get to Mustafar so badly!"

Sekar disappeared for some time and came back laughing loudly. "Hey, Goresh, the little pest is even more interesting than we thought. Look at this!" Luke struggled against Goresh but the captain was much too strong. He tried to reach for his precious letter but they held it out of his reach.

"Hey, hey...what is this? MIA, Commander Anakin Skywalker, on Mustafar? A JP number even!"

He laughed even harder. "The daddy of this little pest had a JP number! Could not even keep his pants up, this daddy dear? A JP with a kiddo, whom did he knock up? A servant girl? Got rid of you both, did he?"

Luke did not understand a word. He looked confused, lowering his hands.

Goresh saw that blank on his face and was amused enough to give the boy an explanation. "A JP is a person with a personnel number starting with JP, meaning Jedi Padawan. Your daddy was a bloody Jedi!" He laughed even harder. "Jedi are not supposed to have kiddos, he would have ended up in a whole lot of trouble cause of you. Probably he got rid of you and your mom."

Luke's face turned pale as the captain continued. "Kiddo, from what I see, nobody wants you. You said your uncle was a meanie. Well, your daddy does not want you either! He dumped you on this dust ball of a planet to get rid of you. You think he's on Mustafar. Well, the prison colony on Mustafar is a hellhole and even if he is there. Do you think your daddy would be happy to see that little secret crawling up from where he's buried it? And kiddo, your chances are slim anyway. Darth Vader made that quite clear!"

Luke had heard that name before but he could not quite place it. "Vader?"

"Stars! Kid, do you know anything? Vader, Darth Vader of the Sith. Guy is so mean, even the greatest meanie could take lessons from him! He slices everybody up that gets in his way, and every blooming Jedi is minced meat quicker than that mighty Jedi Knight can utter "Sithspawn". And I tell you, he has fun slicing up Jedi Kids too. He has killed a whole bunch of little kids, just like you are, just for fun. Only because they were Jedi Kids; so no help there either. Damn kiddo, you should be grateful being here. We are the best friends you can probably get in this blasted universe!"

Luke trembled terribly. It was as if the whole universe came crashing down on him. His dad did not want him? Was that the reason why Uncle Owen and Aunt Beru took him in? However, they did not want him either. Anger rose in the little boy. Goresh became nervous. Various loose parts on board started to rattle and shake. A small earthquake went though the ship. A slap in the face brought Luke back to his senses. "Cut the crap, boy! Go back into the kitchen and do your work!"

A slight sheen of sweat was on Goresh's forehead. When Luke left, he turned towards Sekar and hissed, "We have to get rid of that kid, soon. He's bloody dangerous!"

Sekar did not quite understand. "Why?" He looked confused.

"Didn't you feel the rattling?" He looked around nervously to make sure the boy was not around.

"Well, a small space anomaly. Our hyperdrive is not that great. It happens all the time!"

"No, Sekar that was not an anomaly. The boy's father was a Jedi! That boy did it with that weird thing the Jedi use, Jedi magic. I've seen during the war what Jedi can do; it's very freaky. We have to get rid of him. Set course to the Free Systems. I want to get him off board as soon as possible. I sell him even for half price, just to have that little snot off my ship!"

Luke did not hear anything of that. He ran into the kitchen and hid in a corner. Burying his head on his knees, he started to cry.

After a while, Sekar entered the kitchen, grinning broadly. "Hey, kiddo, no reason to sulk; we are heading for a planet and this time you even get off board. We do a little sightseeing. You gonna like it!" Luke looked up, frowning. He was not sure what to make out of this.

Sekar nodded towards him. "We just enter one of the Free Systems. We are going to Maranash, one of the most interesting trading posts in all the Frees!"

Luke nodded but the hole in his chest ached. He felt lonely and lost. If his dad did not want him, where should he go, what should he do? When Sekar left, Luke buried his face again and some time later he fell asleep, emotionally and physically drained.

On Coruscant, Lord Vader woke up startled. Something had woken him, a tremor in the Force. Someone had reached out to him. He activated the med droid and gave orders to disconnect him from the tubes. Maybe he should have stayed in his chair instead of lying down on the stretcher. He glanced at his armor, propped up on the rack. His heart was still pounding. Something had lashed out to him. He experienced a profound feeling of abandonment. As if, the whole universe had let him down and walked all over him. He knew that feeling but his experience told him that this time it was not his own. But why would he feel the emotions of somebody else? He was not empathic, far from it. Otherwise, he would have gone mad long ago.

It took him hours to fall back to sleep.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8 – Vows of Love and Hate**

Vader was reading the report frowning slightly. This was not good. He called Levellen.

The door opened and Levellen's white hair showed immediately. "Milord, what can I do for you?"

"Levellen, ask Madam Raven-Lionsgate to join me. I have information regarding her husband."

"Very well, Milord." Levellen bowed and left immediately.

Lord Vader got up with the report in his hand. He hated scenes, females known to make scenes. He checked around if there was anything to aid him. Maybe he should order for a cold bath. No, that would probably make matters worse. Alcohol perhaps? No, he could not fill her up and then deliver the message. Perhaps he could simply give her the file and rush off? There must be some battle somewhere in this galaxy? Not good.

The door opened and Arleena entered, pulling him out of his escape plans.

"Milord, Levellen told me that you have information regarding Steve."

Vader sighed and gestured her to sit down.

She saw that something was wrong and quickly took a seat so he would continue.

"Madam, your husband was sentenced to a lifetime imprisonment on Mustafar. My investigation showed indeed that he is innocent; it was a cunning plan by a couple of high positioned regional governors."

"So we can proof his innocence now and get those snakes. They shall rot on Mustafar!" She fumed and clenched her fists.

This was not going to be easy. He sat on the edge of his desk in order to be less intimidating. "Madam, politics are a sticky business. Unfortunately, the evidence is of no interest to anybody. Those governors are right now important for the Empire. They will not be replaced nor will they be sentenced. The political climate may change, and then it could be possible to rehabilitate the good name of your husband. But until that time, it is vital for you and your son to lay low."

She stared at Vader, trying to find words or at least enough air to voice them.

"But my husband, he has to get out of there!"

Vader drew in a deep breath. "Madam..."

Arleena jumped up and paced up and down his office. "I have to get him out of there! ...it must be possible somehow!"

Vader repeated himself but which went unheard by the rambling female.

The next second his voice boomed like thunder though his office, the datapads on the shelf started to rattle and some fell down. "MADAM!"

Arleena turned towards him, pale as a ghost. "Yes?"

Vader tried to speak more quietly, now that he got her attention. "Madame, that won't be necessary."

Arleena looked at him, he could not read her expression but he sensed a mixture of hope and desperation.

He cleared his throat to continue. "Madam, that won't be necessary anymore, your husband died more than six months ago in a mining accident. He was crushed by a fallen rock."

She looked at him wide eyed and without real comprehension. "...six months ago? He was already dead when I got here?"

Vader nodded sadly. "I just got the report. ...I am sorry."

Arleena snorted. "You, how could you be sorry? You never lost a family. You have no idea how that feels!"

Vader struggled for a moment to keep his temper. It was the pain speaking out of her. He had seen that thousands of times on people he tortured or on widows of soldiers.

"Probably not, Madam; someone like me usually does not have a family or needs one. May things be as they are; you have your information and are free to leave now."

Arleena felt the room temperature falling abruptly and the tone of his voice was suddenly clipped and cold.

"Get out of my office, Madam. I am in no mood to suffer your emotional outburts. If you are looking for pity, search somewhere else because here you won't find any. I find your lack of restraint disgusting."

Arleena paled, stood up and rushed out without another word.

Levellen found her in one of the corridors. "Darling, where have you been? Was his Lordship able to help you?"

She looked up at the butler, sniffing and snorting at the same time. "Vader? My husband is dead and he told me to get out of his office because I started crying."

Levellen frowned and silently took her by the arm, dragging her up. "Stop girl, I am going to make you a good hot cup of tea in the kitchen and then you tell me everything. I have the feeling you have missed something."

"Me, missing? No, that man is a heartless piece of rotten flesh and droid parts. They have probably removed his heart and replaced it with a hydraulic pump."

Levellen dragged her into the kitchen and forced her to sit.

"That bastard does not know how it is to lose the love of ones life. That cold hearted..."

Levellen shook his head sadly. "Oh, darling, your big mouth will get you in trouble every time."

A teary pair of eyes focused on him without any comprehension.

"Deary, I am not quite sure but...I think Lord Vader was married once. Some time ago, there was an emergency and I had to enter his rooms without announcement. He is wearing a black ring on his left hand."

Arleena frowned. "A black ring? What does it mean?"

"Well, deary, on some planets a black ring on the left means a man is a widower. The partner had died and one is still mourning."

Arleena's eyes grew wide. "You mean Lord Vader was married and lost his wife?"

Levellen nodded. "It might be the case. I see no other reason why a man like him would wear a plain black stone ring on his left hand below under the glove. Nobody ever sees it, except him"

Arleena jumped up and nearly spilled her tea. "Force, what have I done?"

Levellen gestured her to sit."Calm down, Arleena. Your head is still on your neck. Moreover, if that is the case, he will forget eventually. Either he bites at once or he forgets about it. Just avoid him for a couple of days. You will see it will be as if nothing had happened at all."

"But, but...I have to apologize..."

Levellen shook his head. "Not now. It can get ugly if you try to go to him now. Let him cool down. In a couple of days, you might be able to apologize. If you do it now, you might risk your life."

Arleena sighed and tried to settle down in the kitchen. She was alone now. However, she knew that there were still things she had to do. Vader had told her that those governors were untouchable. But she would wait and find a way she would get to them. She would revenge her husband, with or without help of Lord Vader. Politics or no politics, she would get their heads!


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9 – Negotiating Business**

Goresh took Luke by the arm and guided him roughly through the people on the marketplace. The day was gray and the air stank of fuels and other waste products. Luke looked around and pulled a face. This was supposed to be the greatest market in the Free Sectors. This was a pile of dirt! Sure, the market was enormous but everything seemed so shabby, somehow as if everything was devoid of any color or life. The marketplace in Anchorhead, small as it was, held more laughter and joy. He saw children running between the booths but they were pale looking and their clothes were no more than rags. He could see their cheekbones prominently sticking out of their pale skins and their eyes were restless like that of hungry small animals. This place was all wrong, in more than one way.

Goresh saw the boy's expression and laughed. "These are the slums next to the port. Get used to that. We drive to the better parts now. You will like them!"

The captain called a speeder – taxi and gave the driver a piece of paper. Without a word of confirmation, the driver launched his speeder and went off with his new passengers.

Moreover, it was true, even though the gray remained, the air got better and the odor was less aggravating when they reached their destination. A huge gray stone building with lots of small holes in the walls seemed to be their destiny. Luke wondered what the holes were for and asked the captain.

The captain laughed. "That are automatic defense systems, don't you know anything you stupid little bugger?"

Luke bit his lip but continued following the captain. He already wished he had stayed on board the ship. This sightseeing tour was anything but fun, just a dirty planet with smelly air and gray ugly buildings. He longed for some sunshine and a bit of warmth but not this depressing place.

When they entered the building, a couple of guards greeted them. The inside of this building was something Luke did not expect. A warm air breeze caressed his cheeks and there was the pleasant rushing of water coming from a fountain in the middle of the entrance hall. Soft music played from the corners and there were colored lights that reminded him of a pleasant sunset on Tatooine.

Captain Goresh spoke to the guards and showed them his ID.

They nodded and left them.

An elegantly clad person came down the huge staircase. He was obviously not human but Luke was unable to pinpoint his species.

He looked down at Luke, measuring him with his eyes. "What have we here; such a pleasant little boy." Luke did not like that man and turned his face away when that man tried to lift his chin with one of his long digits. He smiled maliciously and continued without disturbed by Luke's actions. "Oh, that human child is spirited. How delightful. I am sure; we can come to an agreement that benefits us all." He looked at the boy again and Luke had the feeling that he was in a lot of trouble. An unnatural long tongue slid out of his mouth and licked not only his lips but also the tip of his nose.

Goresh became nervous. It was finish the business and get out of here quickly.

"Luke, why don't you have a close look at the fountain while we adults do business...?" He tried to make himself sound friendly. Luke looked suspiciously but decided better to obey the captain.

The Falleen chuckled as Luke slouched towards the fountain, not eager but also too bored to stay.

"Well, the cute little human is obviously unaware of the goods we bargain about."

Goresh shrugged. "I was in no mood to drag him all the way. In addition, I told you he has special powers. So you have to be careful."

The Falleen chuckled again. "A Jedi bastard; how delightful indeed, I never had such a rare specimen in my collection; this will certainly prove interesting."

Goresh growled but was never the less eager to agree. "Yes, I am sure it will be interesting."

The Falleen smiled and continued. "We agreed on 10,000 credits. I think that is more than compensating you for your troubles."

Goresh stared at the money the Falleen handed him. "Yes, 10000 credits are more than enough, Sire."

"Good, good, my dear captain. If you would kindly leave now; I want to enjoy my newest acquisition."

Goresh turned to leave. Luke saw it and wanted to follow but the strange man stopped him.

"Your captain has to leave now. But I can show you around if you like." His voice was having a strange, sickly sweet sub context Luke did not like.

"No, Sir. I would really like to go with my captain."

But the grip on his shoulder grew stronger. "No, my boy; I think you will stay here."

Luke struggled against the hand but it was useless. The captain of the Crimson Spire did not even turn when Luke called his name.

"Now, my dear boy, I am going to show you around. I am positive after a while you will like it here. See, this is going to be your new home."

A long, sharp fingernail touched his cheek softly as if to caress it but Luke felt the unspoken threat.

Later that evening, Luke ended up in a room with nice furniture and given a bath but he was far from happy. Goresh had sold him and tomorrow he becomes... chipped. He was not sure what that meant but it did not sound good. He had to get out of this place, and fast. That guy that had bought him was more than creepy.

He tried to open one of the windows but it would not budge. He tried harder but it was useless. He sat and started to think. The air outside was so ugly; surely nobody wanted to open a window.

He looked around for the vents of the air condition; yes that was it; the air-conditioning! He started to build a ladder from the furniture in the room and climbed the shaky construction.

It was almost impossible to keep balance but somehow with his tongue between his teeth he made it to the top, grabbing the grate of the vent. It opened after a while and Luke held onto the rim and pulled himself up. Crawling throughout that narrow space, he sniffed the air. Maybe if he followed the smells he could find a way out of this labyrinth. He closed his eyes and concentrated on his other senses in this pitch-black darkness.

When the sun rose, a small grate roughly kicked and fell down the building. A pair of legs followed and Luke slid to the ground. Covered by meager shrubbery he followed the dusty road that he recognized from his arrival. The spaceport had to be somewhere at other end of this road.

It was already noon when he reached the outskirts of the town; Forgetting all about his cover Luke started walking alongside the path until he heard some noise behind his back. A speeder was aiming at him, and he saw the uniforms of the guards he had seen in the front hall of that gray buildig. They were shooting at him with an odd type of rifle. It appeared that they wanted him alive. Luke started to run. He heard some hissing left and right and was doubling not to hit.

He reached the marketplace just in time and started to use the booths as cover. This way his captors had to leave their speeder. Crawling under the tables and avoiding the guards, he was able to leave the marketplace undetected.

Finally, he ended up in a dark alley, filled with garbage. He hid behind a container trying to catch some breath.

A pile of rags not far away started to move and he looked up. A pale, hungry face of older boy looked at him. "Hey, this is my place! Who are you?"

"Hi!" said Luke with a shy grin on his face. "I'm Luke! What's your name?"

The other boy grinned back and shifted his rags. "Hi Luke, I am Han."


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10 - Tatooine**

Vader hardly saw anything of his guest during the weeks that followed. Obviously, she had decided to keep a low profile, which was good. He was in absolutely no mood to see anybody. He read reports and checked files he had neglected due to stress.

He found files on the inoculation project. Obviously, they had started doing it a few months ago in public schools throughout the galaxy. The report showed very little success but it was still early. The first school tests conducted on remote worlds where Jedi were more likely to hide.

He studied a file that was marked in red. Some child had shown an unusual high midi-chlorian count. He studied the report and froze. That was impossible! He stared at the name, the age and the location. Was it possible?

Arleena sat in the kitchen, playing chess with Levellen when the com rang. Levellen picked it up and answered the call. "Yes, Milord."

He listened for a while and then hung up.

"What is it, Stanislav?"

"Oh dear, dear... something is up. His Lordship wants his private yacht ready. In addition, nobody except Walters and well, you, are to know. Not even the Emperor himself."

"Not even the Emperor?"

"Well, Palpatine is on Byss for a while and should not be back soon. It is up to us to keep this household running. If there are any incoming messages, we have to patch them through. I'll show you how. But nobody is to know that Lord Vader is not present. Is that clear?"

Arleena nodded slowly and wondered about the reason for the quick departure in the middle of the night. Levellen saw her curiosity. "Darling, I have absolutely no idea why his Lordship is sneaking out of Coruscant, but it must be really important. Just do as I tell you. I will inform Walters."

Arleena hoped to get a glimpse at Lord Vader prior to his departure but he did not even give her a fleeting glance. There was no chance to apologize in any way. He seemed all too occupied by what ever made him leave in a hurry.

Walters stood next to the ramp and saluted. Dark Lord and Sergeant exchanged a few words, and then Darth Vader walked up the ramp and out of sight. Walters sighed deeply. He was a bear of a man. One reason he held his job apart from his loyalty towards the Dark Lord of Sith he was his size. If Lord Vader was not present and wanted nobody to notice his absence, he would put on a fake armor and impersonate him. As long as he kept his mouth shut and just walked with his hands on his belt, emitting an air of hostility, nobody saw the difference. That is, nobody saw the difference as long as the Emperor was not on Coruscant and did not contact Lord Vader either.

Getting clearance to leave Coruscant was easy. Long ago, he had made sure that he would always have a back door to leave Coruscant if necessary. During the years that followed, he had rarely used it but sometimes undercover operations made it necessary to act without anybody noticing.

Vader punched the coordinates into his navi-computer. He was sure that this would be an unpleasant trip. He hated remembering the past but it could not be helped. Seeing Tatooine again was something he would certainly not enjoy.

Various thoughts tumbled through his brain, too much to analyze in one meditation. Palpatine, Mustafar, and the death of his wife. Palpatine had claimed that he had murdered his wife in his blind fury. But she must have been alive to deliver his son. On her burial at Naboo, she had looked pregnant. A lie, so many lies; the Jedi had lied to him, Palpatine had lied as well. In this web of lies, it was hard to find the truth hidden below.

He was quite sure that his son would also have a web of lies surrounding him.

Yet, would he be able to penetrate that web of lies, find the truth together with his flesh and blood?

Lies had distorted him, had made him the man he was today. This way the lies had become truth.

He was not Anakin Skywalker anymore there was no turning back. Still, could he continue being Darth Vader?

Who was Darth Vader? Henchman of the Emperor, Right Hand of the Emperor, Enforcer of the Emperor. What if he took "Emperor" out of this equation? A completely new perspective appeared suddenly. His resources were enormous. His connections and knowledge about the Empire's inner makings was unsurpassed. However, it would take many years to build up this "new account", if it were possible.

All depended on what would follow next. He had to tread carefully. His son was the future. A child changed everything. The Dark Lord of Sith was a father. On the other hand, what would Luke say? Having Darth Vader as a dad was not exactly every little boys dream. More the nightmare that kept them up, checking in their cupboards and under their beds.

He slapped himself mentally. He would allow the Force to guide him. It would work out, somehow. No use worrying about that now, he would make one-step after the other, rushing in, as a fool was a way for the young.

His nondescript ship entered the orbit of Tatooine smooth and without any difficulties. He immediately went into a low orbit. His memory did not deceive him. He easily found the farm of Mr. And Mrs. Lars. He wondered briefly if Cliegg Lars was still alive.

His ship debarked almost without a sound but the inhabitants of the small moisture farm instantly ran out to see who had arrived. It was extraordinary that a spaceship landed next to their puny little farm. Vader let down the ramp and walked out still unsure if he should be angry, upset or grateful. He instantly recognized Owen and Beru even though they had changed quite a bit. Both had considerably filled out, to put it politely. He saw the horror on their faces and realized that they did not recognize him. All they saw was the infamous black armor. He was a man without a face, without an identity. He was only a reputation, even to people who once knew him. That could either hinder him or give him an advantage. It was his decision. He decided to make it his advantage.

Owen wanted to run inside, probably to get some kind of weapon but Lord Vader stretched out with the force and stopped him. Making gurgling sounds, he reached for his throat. Beru shrieked in horror. Lord Vader let him go and focused on Beru.

"Beru Lars, you keep a boy here. Where is he?"

He saw Beru's lips moving but no sound escaped her. Just her lips mouthed the word "LUKE"

"Yes, Beru Lars, I talk about Luke Skywalker!"

Beru bit on her lips as if commanding them to keep her secret. For a second Lord Vader wanted to strike her down and continuing by asking Owen. The death of his wife would probably enhance his memory but finally Beru found words to address this dark nightmare. "Luke has run off. We have no idea where he is."

Vader's anger rose and Beru started to cough viciously.

The Dark Lord heard Owen's voice interfering. "Please, Lord Vader, it is true. Luke, that little runt, ran away about two months ago. I don't know why this ungrateful little freak ran off but he did."

Vader turned towards Owen and draw in a sharp breath. "Freak?"

Owen paled a little. "Well, you can have him if you like. Just leave us in peace. Luke ran off. He disappeared when I took him to school. Nobody saw him enter the school building."

Vader focused on Owen again and the farmer had the feeling Vader's eyes dissected him from the inside out. "What did you do to make Skywalker run?"

Owen shook his head obviously not noticing that is was a rather strange question: "Nothing, Milord. He had his own room, enough food. Please, forgive us. I know we hid probably a Jedi brat but we have no blood relations with the boy. A few years ago, a baby given to us; we did not know it would be a Jedi, it was just a baby. And when we realized the runt could do Jedi magic, we should have informed the Empire...but he had grown to us too much...to my wife."

Vader felt that this was not the whole truth.

"Have you made any inquiries about the whereabouts? Any evidence of what made him leave or where he'd gone?"

Vader looked towards Beru. She seemed to have more concern for his son.

Beru shook her head. "No, my husband forbids me to make any. Luke disappeared from Anchorhead. That's all we know."

"Has he taken anything with him?" Vader inquired with unusual patience.

"He has taken some clothes, his calculator and all the savings."

Vader nodded. "And you did not call the authorities? You did not search for a nine year old child?"

Owen nodded angrily. "Why should we, Milord? The boy was nothing but trouble. I am glad he is gone."

Vader was dumbstruck. Owen displayed very little interest in the boy he had raised for nine years and the Force told him that Owen was not trying to deceive him either. Owen obviously disliked his son profoundly. How had the boy lived in a home unloved and not cherished? No wonder the boy had run off. He would have run as well at his age. Even Watto had been nicer that Owen. The only emotional waves he felt came from Beru. She just stood there, crying.

Suddenly the woman looked up. "Please, don't kill Luke. He is just a little boy."

"I decide what to do with Skywalker. But if you want to survive this day, you better hand me any personal items the boy has left behind as well as a picture."

Devastated Vader went back to his starship with very little information and even less possessions. They certainly had far from spoiled the boy. There were very little toys, most of the old and probably handed over from some other child.

He stared at the picture, fighting hard to keep his emotions in check. The boy looked so much like him. The blond hair and most especially the bright blue eyes; however, his mouth and facial structure was also Padmé's. It was as if the Force had blended their both appearances into a perfect specimen. His son was beautiful, just as Luke's mother had been.

He had to find his son, no matter how. If he searched every planet and blasted every asteroid on the way, he had to find his heir, his only link to any kind of future.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter – 11 – Lost Kids**

Han strolled lazily though the market, followed closely by his sidekick Luke. Some of the merchants threw nervous glances towards the tall, lanky boy.

Luke looked at Han with open admiration. Han was an important person among the market kids. He talked to the dealers, made deals with them. The kids would get the leftovers if they watched out for "noncommissioned thieves" and other troublemakers.

Han grinned at Luke, throwing an apple towards the younger boy.

"Breakfast, Womprat!"

Luke grinned good naturedly and munched the apple. "Why do you call me womprat?"

Han managed to look educated as he continued. "Well, you are from Tattooine. Tattooine has womprats. So ... you are a womprat."

Luke mused over that sentence and had to admit to a certain logic but he would have had preferred to be called a "Krayt Dragon". Well, it was better than "snot" so he decided not to complain.

Han guided him towards a sewer entrance. Luke was kind of surprised that the market actually had any sewer system. The smell had indicated otherwise.

"You're gonna meet the other kids. We find you a place to sleep and then we see what you can do."

Luke nodded eagerly.

After crawling through narrow spaces and entwined tubes, they ended up in some kind of forgotten control room with tanks. Strangely it had tables in the center, laden with garbage.

"What is this, Han?"

Han grinned and stretched his shoulders. "This is the Training Center." He looked proudly at everything he had built up. Luke saw dummies with lots of bells, tables with rags on them.

"What are you doing here?" Luke became curious.

"Just watch, womprat, and learn." Han went off and left Luke alone. Luke walked between the tables and watched the other children. Some played market dealers, other acted as customers and some were just themselves. Slowly he realized what they were doing. He could see them pickpocketing, stealing and begging. Horrified he watched as a small boy started to get a purse from a dummy loaded with bells. And the boy actually managed to steal the wallet without making even the tiniest sound.

He saw Han among some other kids. Gingerly he approached the older boy.

"Stealing is not right. My aunt always told me it is not right to take what does not belong to you!"

Han laughed and he was not the only one.

"Hey womprat! Say that again when your stomach rumbles so loudly you can't hear your own voice"

Luke fell silent, trying to understand. With distress he watched the other children. Was he supposed to do the same?

Han took him by the shoulder and guided him away towards a corner. "Well, kiddo. Listen to me. My mom ran away with some guy and my dad...well, I dunno my dad. So what should I have done? No family. Until I got this little business up and running, the lot of us were starving. Now we have a place to sleep and food. And it is not only me, it is all of us. I found a book in the sewers once, had some story in it. We even got a proper name now...we are the "Lost Kids".

Luke sat down next to Han and tried to think. The smell was terrible but he had the feeling he could get used to it. Either that or his nose would fall off.

"So you steal? Food?"

"Yes, the good ones steal. Some merchants pay us not to steal from them or their customers, that is also okay. Some smaller children go as beggars, especially the cuties. You know, large eyes and so. Then there are the listeners. Ones that are good in hiding. They listen for news that might come in handy."

Luke nodded as Han continued. "So lets see what you can do. First of all, can you get back home? That would be best."

Luke shook his head. "No, can't go home. Nobody wants me."

Han looked concerned. "Are you sure? I mean, even if you did something bad, you still mighta get home somehow. Maybe you get a good wagging but thats Okay."

Luke shook his had. "My uncle and aunt only took me cause nobody else wanted me. My mom is dead and my dad..." Luke sulked for a moment, not sure what to tell.

"Your dad, whats wrong with him?"

"Well, my dad did not want me either, he dumped me with my uncle and aunt cause he did not want me, then he was captured in the war."

"War? What war? Clone?" Han inquired.

"Yes, Clone Wars, last one I think."

Han looked at the boy, trying to sort out what the boy believed to be and what might be true. "Well, we will see. First you stay here. Look around, we could use some listeners and some thieves. You start thief training and start as listener."

"I cannot steal something! It is not right!"

Han stared at the boy. "Right? Well, was it right that your dad dumped you? Or that your uncle was mean? Or that guy you ran from? The scaly type you told me about? Do you know what he would have done to you? You told me he was going to chip you? You know what that means? You would've gotten a small device into your body, someplace deep within. If you would have run away afterwards, he could have pressed a button and you would have gone "Booooommmm". You were sold as a slave. And I know of that guy. His name's Xisor. He likes little human boys, takes them to bed to play. I tell you, that hurts more than your uncles belt."

Luke looked uncomprehendingly.

Han pulled a face. Luke was obviously blissfully ignorant to certain aspects in life.

"Luke, that guy would have hurt you badly, very badly. And with that chip you would have never, ever gotten away from him, no matter how bad he would have hurt you!"

Slowly Luke seemed to understand. He just opened the mouth but remained silent.

Han continued. "You've been lucky, Luke. Here you are in a way your own master. We all here are family, we look out for each other and the adults above have no clue. They cannot hurt us, we run away and hide."

Luke nodded.

Han smiled. "Get something to eat and then find yourself a corner and sleep. Tomorrow you will start training. In the evening Gwinny will take you out and show you around. She's a good listener. She will be your guide until you have learned enough to go on your own."

Luke nodded silently and trotted off to find food and a blanket.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12 – Reminder of the Past**

Vader tried to think like a boy, a little nine year old boy. Running away on Tatooine was difficult. What would he have done if his mother and Wattoo had been uncaring and if he would not had had that blasted chip.

He closed his eyes, trying to remember the feeling of being a child again. Long ago...

Random pictures appeared in his memory. Snippets without real content. The suns, scratchy skin, sand that got everywhere, the smell of Bantha stew, his mother sitting at her table in the evening, repairing things to get additional income. He tried to remember his mothers face but all he could remember was her bloody, beaten up features on the day she died. That image was etched into his memory, erasing anything else. Desperately he tried to remember anything, searching his memory.

Then he remembered something...her smell, something he could not really describe. It was the smell of security, of warmth, of feeling happy and content. It was a smell that instantly made one feel good. He remembered her smell! The texture of her hair, dusty but soft, the self made soap she used. And suddenly he remembered her face again, the soft, tired, caring face that would have done anything for him. What would she do, if she saw him today? Cower in fear? Look disappointed at him? He shoved that thought away.

He tried to remember how he was back then. Kitster had been his best friend. Was Kitster still alive? He didn't know. He remembered roaming though the market, talking to the merchants, getting a fruit or a bottle of ruby bliel for some courier jobs or helping a merchant to load his speeder in the evenings. He remembered evenings sitting on the small balcony with his mother, looking at the stars. Back then he had wanted to visit them all. Had he visited all stars? A lot probably, more than most humans. But the price had been high.

That was it! The stars. A boy, his son, would have aimed for the stars! He looked at the picture again. A boy, living on a farm, with no dad would have wanted to see the stars, visit as much as possible. At least that was what he would have done.

The boy must have somehow gotten to Mos Eisley spaceport! The force told him he was right. Every fiber in him told him that this was the right idea!

He maneuvered his craft into the orbit again and tapped into the database of Mos Eisley space port. All departures were recorded as was the law. He doubted anything apart from the registration number was correct but it gave him enough clues to continue the search.

A couple of tourist vessels had departed from Mos Eisley. He could have gotten on board as a blind passenger. In that case he would have ended up with the authorities on another space port months ago. But there was no trace of him. Otherwise he would have gotten a second report on some boy with a high midichlorian count.

Which kind of ship would have taken a small boy? Only seedy merchants took children, mostly as cabin boys. Some of these kids disappeared without a trace. Some were lucky and became seedy traders themselves. Some ended up dead. Space was not save for children. He clutched the picture and tried to feel his son but it was impossible, he had never met him nor felt his aura. But a tiny part of him told him that Luke was alive. He had to be alive!

Yes, it must have been some trader. There were numerous trading vessels. He made a list of every merchant ship that had launched during the week following Luke's disappearance. He would check on every single vessel and if necessary rip them apart until he got the answers he was looking for.

A part of him wanted to do that right away but it wasn't sensible. It would take weeks to follow every clue and track down those vessels. Weeks he could hardly stay on his private yacht in space or dissapearing from the Emperors prying eyes. The Emperor would become suspicious. He had to go home and conduct the search by other means. He had enough agents who worked for him silently and discreetly. They would make the necessary inquieries. He had to wait. Patience was not his strongest virtue.

Long ago he had learned not to rush into action. He had to do this search with cunning and stealth. Disappointed he set course for Coruscant.

Looking back at the dustball of a planet called Tattooine he sighed. A few months earlier he would have found Luke and would have simply taken him with him. But things were never easy, at least not for him. Where was Luke? Was he secure? He desperately hoped so.

Roughly 32 hours later he was back on Coruscant, Levellen reported that nothing of particular interest had appeared apart from some messages of little importance. Vader was glad that nobody had found out about his absence. It was always a bit unnerving to watch Walters in a replica of his own armor. The old sergant had studied his gait and gestures but sometimes he wondered how other people saw him. He looked ridiculous in that armor, like a breeze oven on legs.

When he was about to enter his office, something or someone rushed though his peripheral vision and he heard a soft cough on the left. Turning his head slowly he got sight of Madam Raven – Lionsgate. She looked as if she had a severe case of constipation and was obviously adapting the unhealty habit to chew on her lower lip. He decided to adress her before she started to digest herself.

"Yes, Madam? What can I do for you?" His office door hissed open and he gestured her to enter, following closely.

Passing her and taking a seat behind his desk, Lord Vader waited for her to continue.

She fumbled with her skirt in a most annoying manner. "Milord, I wanted to apologize for my outburst."

Vader searched his memory and finally found the mentioned incident. He shook his head. "It is of no importance, Madam. Your reference to my bachelorhood was duly noted."

An idea emerged from somewhere in his brain.

He focused on her with renewed interest and leaned forward to simulate some kind of intimacy.

"Madam, I might need to send you away to a small realty of mine. It is not newsworthy yet, but it might be my wish to establish a long term project. It would need a person of your expertise. It would prove beneficial to everyone included as it would also provide you with a generous income and a fulfilling task as well as enable me to persue .. this opportunity." He winced inwardly because he talked like some phony politician but it was necessary. He had to find his son first, then make any arrangements for him to stay in a healthy environment.

A moment she looked like a Gungan that had swallowed a fish too big for her esophagus.

"Sure Milord, but what expertise are you talking about?"

Vader smiled inwardly."You raised a son with reasonable success. I would call that an expertise, would you not?"

He turned towards his screen, already occupied with stage 1 of his project, finding the trader that had taken his son.

When he looked up she was still standing there with an open mouth.

"You may go, Madam Raven – Lionsgate. I am sure you have many tasks on your unquestionable busy schedule..."

He saw her walking out of his office and sighed. Why was this female always so difficult? Was that intention or simply lack of well aligned brain cells? Or were all females that dim and only hormones and mating urges made them somewhat desireable?

Arleena stood there, gaping like a fish. Vaders words echoed in her brain.

"He wants a baby?? From me?"


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13 – The Wookiee**

Luke woke up feeling refreshed. He had had a large bird leg before he went to sleep and a girl named Gwinny got him a blanket. The blanket looked a bit itchy but that was okay. Ruffling though his hair he wondered where he could wash and brush his teeth but when he asked, the boy next to him gave him a blank look. Luke grinned. Obviously washing was not an issue here. He roamed though the dimly lit room, noticing that the smell did not bother him anymore, it was as if that smell had become a part of the interior. He saw children of all ages, from almost toddlers to almost adults. When he closed his eyes he felt something, an energy that radiated though all. He had no name for it but it felt like 'home', a place where one was part of it, no matter what.

Han came along, grinning. "Hey, kiddo, you start looking like us." He ruffled through Luke's hair and pulled him along. They met the girl Luke had gotten aquainted to last night.

Han's voice achieved a no nonsense quality as he continued. "This is Gwinny, she will show you around. She is one of the best pickpockets and listeners we've got and she will show you the tricks of the trade. Do not argue with her. If she says 'jump', you jump and you do it high!" He put his hands on his waist and stared down at the smaller boy. "Got it, Luke?"

Luke was almost about to answer "Yes, Sir!" but he only nodded.

Luke took a closer look at Gwinny. She was about his age, skinny and her hair was an indefinite color, probably due to the sheer amounts of filth in them.

"How was your first night, Luke?" She inquired softly with a slight lilt in her voice.

Luke nodded and tried to look 'adult'.

"It was Okay, Gwinny, and yours?"

She laughed and dragged him along, singing a song. Soon Luke discovered that the song had a good reason, it was a description in and out of the sewers. They started to sing it together, the tune stuck to the brain faster than any words alone and soon Luke felt confident that he would find his way back if needed.

Gwinny dutyfully asked him if he could repeat the song all alone and he did so. On one or two bits he got stuck but soon it went flawlessly.

As soon as they where outside the sewers Gwinny let out a small whistle, the opening tune of their song. Another boy appeared, nodding. He took Luke with him and guided him though the stalls and booths of the many traders on the marketplace. From where Luke crouched, he could mainly see legs, or boots. Grimy boots, shiny boots, fine boots and badly worn boots. The constant noise and the many different smells tackled his senses. He felt vibrant, alive and free in a way he had never felt before.

The boys climbed up a ladder in a back yard until they got on top of a roof. Hunched down they climbed along the roof, hidden to anyone down below.

"Hey, where are we going?" Luke inquired softly.

"We are going to the races, Newby!" Gary, the other boy, grinned broadly, showing a gap in his front teeth.

"Races? What is that?" He knew of pod races, a very famous pod racing ground used to be along the Needle at Beggars Canion. He heard the adults sometimes talk about it. Sometimes they even looked at him as if he had anything to do with those races.

"Flesh racing. They catch some poor idiot or some slave that ran away and got caught alive and put him in there. Then they place the bets. They bet on how long this poor sod stays alive."

Luke still did not understand.

"Alive? Not when he gets to the finish line?"

The other boy laughed. "There is no finish line. Just hunters and a lot of holo recorders, hidden everywhere. They bet on how long the idiot keeps on running until he realizes that it is useless. The hunters are the stars of the show. There is the Whipper, the Undertaker, the Elektroman, the Iceman and the Firebug. My favorite is the Firebug. He is real mean, fries everybody to a crisp."

Luke shuddered inwardly. "So what are we doing there?"

"Information is valuable. If we know who is next, and when, we can sell the information. If we get a close look at the runner, it is even better. Come on and be silent. If they catch us we are in a lot of trouble."

Crouching down they lifted some loose tiles on the roof, and both boys looked into a dim cage filled with loud roaring. Some mighty beast was roaring like mad. Luke listened intently and it seemed to him that he could make out words and feelings even though he had never heard that roaring before.

The other boy looked awed. "Wow, sounds real powerful. Whatever that is, it is a mighty big thing."

Lukes eyes became distant, unfocused. "No, it is no beast. It is a Wookiee and he is in pain." Luke felt his pain, his distress and his anger. It was almost overwelming for his mind. This 'beast' was kind and friendly in its core but someone or something had build up an enourmous anger in it. He knew what was going on, he understood his captors but refused to let them know he understood.

"A Wookiee? Yeah, that will be a great race!"

The other boy rubbed his hands in anticipation.

"Can't we help him?"

"Him? Are you nuts? He is a runner, nobody helps a runner!"

The agony of that being just below Luke was suffocating, Luke felt it and it brought tears to his eyes. "Nobody helps a runner! Nobody helps us children too. Is it not time we helped each other?"

The other boy looked without real understanding. Obviously that thought had never entered his brain before. The rest of the day Luke followed Gary wordlessly, still feeling the pain of the lonely Wookiee trailing behind him like an unseen ghost. He had to talk to Han about it. Perhaps he would understand.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14 – Getting a Child **

Arleena sat on her bed, thinking. A long term project, on some distant planet, good income, job she knew. That was the task definition.

She was a lousy housekeeper, Levellen gave all the orders. She was a woman from a wealthy family and actually had had a very good education, for a woman of her station. That usually meant she was good at fashion, reasonable good at small talk and absolutely lousy at housekeeping or other sensible work. It was correct that she had improved due to her latest experiences but she was far from being a tough business woman or even a decent secretary. She knew the fashionable and Empire approved literature, and some books that were not approved by it as well. She could quote some sonnets by Birkus, or recognize a line from one of the great plays. What kind of expertise was that? The only thing she had ever accomplished in her life was giving birth to her son that had turned out to be a nice boy. Chris was not a snob, he was not impolite to anybody and he was well behaved, at least when someone was looking. Childbearing was her ONLY experience.

Vader and a baby? Well, he seemed decent enough, she reasoned. A bit on the temperamental side but well educated, generally polite, well mannered and rich as a Hutt. But she had heard rumors that he was far from well. Maybe he aimed for artificial insemination? Perhaps he was too shy to ask for more. But she owed him. He certainly deserved better than a cup and a magazine in a bathroom.

She tried to do her hair in a more pleasant manner. Studying herself in the mirror, she saw a female that looked a bit worn, maybe even prematurely growing old. But she doubted that he had ever looked at her in that fashion. It would be a match made out of nessesity, not affection. Laying back and thinking of the Empire was the least she could do! Taking out a dress that looked nice she made the best out of her appearance.

Vader stared at the screen. His research had given him a list of 25 vessels with various destinations.

He was able to exclude another 10 because their crew was not humanoid and could not provide living conditions for a humanoid, oxygen breathing crew member. So he had to check on the other 15. Five of them were currently inside the Inner Rim of the Galaxy. Six vessels were still on the Outer Rim and four were not accounted for. He was about to contact some of his free agents when he realized that someone had used the buzzer to request entry.

He stared at the chronometer. It was late in the evening. An emergency would have been referred to him by com, not by a messenger. His hand on his saber, he opened the door.

It was Madam Raven – Lionsgate. What was she doing at that time in front of his door?

Biting back some caustic remark, he straightened and focused on her. She looked a bit different than usual but he was not sure why and in which way.

"Yes, Madam?"

She looked kind of disturbed and lingered at the entrance. "Please Madam, make up your mind, either IN or OUT."

She literally jumped over the threshold, taking a deep breath and started talking like a blaster set on rapid fire."Milord, I will do my very best to comply to your wish to get a son. But I will not put you so low as to degrade this whole matter to a medical project even though I am well aware..."

Vader shook his head, trying to make sense of this incessant babbling. It was almost like trying to make sense out of white noise.

Staring at her he realized the room had finally become silent again. She had run out of words and by the looks of it also out of energy. Her face had a distinct shade of green.

"I think, Madam, you better take a seat." Inwardly he wondered if his waste paper basket was "vomit proof".

Desperate circumstances required desperate measures. He walked over to a cabinet and retrieved a bottle of Corellian brandy. A small sip would hopefully prevent undue stress to his wastebasket.

He handed her a small shot of brandy.

"Madam, calm down. There is no need to hyperventilate. Could you perhaps tell me what is going on?"

She sipped the brandy and looked up. "You asked me to get your baby, did you not?"

Vader stood there desperately wishing he could take off the mask and join her for a brandy.

"Did I?" Obviously he had still not mastered the art of being a politician. Somehow his request must have translated wrongly.

She focused on him and answered. "I agree. You are a decent man and you deserve better. But if you want, I offer the traditional solution...no medi droid required."

Now it was his turn to take a step backwards. He considered taking a room backwards, or a planet or a system. "Madam, it is most kind of you to offer but I think ..."

"We can go to that medi chamber of yours..." She was beet red and jumped up, already more focused on the problem than on his reaction.

He was not quite sure what her next action would be. Grabbing him by his collar and dragging him into the bedroom came to his mind.

"Madam...there...has been a misunderstanding!"

She was still rambling on, having found the lever to his bedroom door and looking inside. "I am sure there is some way to ensure your health."

He stared at her, fearing that she might jump him any second. This was the worst case of "misconception" that had ever happened to him.

He watched her agitated actions as she shamelessly inspected his bedroom unsure how to stop her.

"Madam..."

Vader reminded himself not to explode. It was nevertheless a very kind gesture even though he felt like a participant in an extremely bad comedy. Obviously there were only very few options.

"Stop this instant!" he growled he what he knew was his most threatening voice, hoping to jolt that mad-woman out of her fixation with having... having... he dared not

even think it. He took her by the shoulders and forced her to face him.

She looked up at him with wide eyes, slightly trembling.


	15. Chapter 15

**Chapter 15 – Chewbacca**

Gary and Luke entered the sewers and Luke's eyes instantly searched for Han. He found the boy sitting on one of the makeshift shopping tables and was obviously telling some smaller kids of his adventures. Luke smiled. Bragging seemed to be a part of Han's nature but as far as Luke could tell, Han did not mean harm. It was just the way the older boy was.

"Han, I need to talk to you!" Luke ran up to the older boy and dragged him away.

"Hey, hey...kiddo, not so fast! I am an important person, you cannot shove me around like that." Luke took very little notice of the older boy's intervention and continued pulling.

"Han, those races. They have a Wookiee. Those are sentinent beings and he needs our help."

Han shook his head as he tried to listen to Lukes ramblings. "Luke, what is in it for us? A Wookiee is not one of us. He is just a big fur blanket with claws."

Luke stared at the older boy, trying to find the right words. "Han! This fur blanket is a mighty warrior, strong and quick. We might find a strong friend very very useful and.." he searched desperately for something that could convince Han, ..".. just imagine the looks on the faces of the hunters if we spoil their game!"

Han seemed to ponder on the last bit. "Spoiling their game? Hm, that would be cool, real cool...a Wookiee you say? Never saw one except in a book. They are huge, are they not?"

Luke nodded quickly. "They are huge and powerful, more powerful than you can imagine. Just think how it would look like if you turn up with a Wookiee. No merchant would ever again argue with you!"

Instinctively Luke had used the best approach towards Han, his own advantage. Han was already calculating the odds and thinking about the possibilities of having a Wookiee in his family.

He turned towards Luke: "You say that he is powerful and will be useful for us..."

Luke nodded again, trying to reassure the older boy and suddenly remembered something he had read in school. "Huge and powerful...and if you save his life, he will owe you. He will protect you with all his might. You would have a mighty powerful bodyguard like nobody else."

Han grumbled while thinking of a way to rescue the Wookiee. "Hmmm, this will better work..."

Luke shoved him into the right direction. "It will work out, Han...I am sure it will!"

Late at night a trail of strange shadows crouched along that roof, children coming like rats out of the sewers in every part of the market place. It was almost an eerie sight if it would have been noticed by anybody except a few drunks on their way home. Without any noise they formed a silent army of small shadows and their tiny feet made no noise on top of the roof, knowing every loose tile and every small crevice along the way.

The roof was quickly taken care of, tile by tile the long row of children took the roof off, handing every bit from one to the other in a long line of small but nimble hands.

The Wookiee below watched stunned as first a small opening and then a larger opening slowly showed up on the ceiling above his cage. A rope appeared and a boy silently climbed down the robe and made a gesture towards the Wookiee to stay silent. And the great beast was silent, it almost held its breath. A scruffy looking older boy with big hazel eyes and brown hair worked with diligence on his lock until there was a soft click. The door sprang open.

Han held out his hand and offered it the great beast. "You owe me now, Wookiee!"

And a big, furry paw closed around his much smaller hand and a great howl answered.

Next door the guards yawned. The beer they got tonight had been plentiful and they were almost lethargic, too sleepy to get up and check.

"And I thought that big ape had finally given up and stayed silent, Gref"

The only answer he got from Gref was a long and loud snore. Obviously his companion had a little too much beer. Shrugging he put his feet up the table again and tried to get a little more sleep tonight.

The Wookiee used the cage to climb up on top of the roof and saw himself surrounded by children. He had never seen so many human children in all his life. Some of them looked afraid of him while others were simply nosy. Those children must have been abandoned. He had heard that humans sometimes leave their children alone, something no decent Wookiee would ever dream of.

Those children had saved him, especially that bigger boy the others called Han.

A much smaller boy with light hair and skyblue eyes looked at him and smiled. Somehow Chewbacca had the impression this boy would understand him. He growled softly.

Luke nodded and looked towards Han.

"Han, his name is Chewbacca and he is our friend."

Han tried to look unimpressed but almost failed.

"Let's hope we can get him into the sewers, he is a bit huge."


	16. Chapter 16

**Chapter 16 – Planning the Future**

He took in a deep breath. This was really not the time to throw a tantrum.

"Madam, if you would be so kind as to shut up for a moment. This is a misunderstanding. I do not require an heir."

"But, but you said..."

"I said I need a woman that can look after a child. As far as I can see it will be an emotionally scarred child. There is the possibility that he has experienced various traumas. I need someone to give the boy the love and care he deserves and I need him to grow up somewhere safe. I have a castle on another planet. You and your son could live there in peace and the boys could grow up like brothers, if you agree."

She looked at Lord Vader with obvious relief. "Who is that boy?"

Vader went to his living room table and gave her the picture. "This is the boy. He is about 9 years old. His other relatives have neglected him. Currently he is on the run."

She looked at the picture of a small, lost looking boy with bright blue eyes and blond hair.

She looked up. "His other relatives? Are you related to this boy?" She held up her empty glass and he refilled it.

Vader sat down, still wishing he could have a brandy himself.

"Yes, I am. I only found out a few days ago and do not wish to make it public. It is not healthy to be related to me."

She had taken her seat again and studied the picture, sipping her brandy. "That's why you snuck away in the dark."

He chuckled inwardly. It sounded a bit as if he had used his bed sheets as a rope to escape out of a window.

"Something like that. I am not sure when and if I will find him, but if I do, I need someone to take care of Luke."

"Luke, his name is Luke?"

"Yes, Luke Skywalker, but if you assent he could get the name "Luke Raven-Lionsgate." Making sure she would not misunderstand him again, he added quickly. "I do not intend to marry you, Madam! This is NOT a proposal."

She laughed still a bit ashamed of her fauxpas. "Oh, Milord. I would never have expected you to propose to me!"

Vader sighed in relief. "Good, no more misunderstandings. The Emperor would ask me to eliminate the boy due to his heritage and he is my last living ... relative. I need to hide him somewhere, preferably with someone to pose as his family."

She looked up sharply. "Is he your son?"

Vader fell silent. He had already told her most of it. Why not all? He needed her loyalty. "Yes, he is my son. I never knew my wife had given birth. The boy was hidden from me when he was born."

"And your wife? Where is she?" Obviously the brandy made her even more nosy than usual but strangly he did not mind.

"My wife is dead." Even to himself his voice sounded strange. Arleena flinched and looked into his mask, trying to ascertain more information. But Lord Vader failed to volunteer any additional explanation. She frowned. "And now you want to find him just to give him away."

He could hear the accusation in her voice.

"Yes, Madam. And if it is possible, I want him to be unaware of any relationship to me."

"Why, every boy needs a father!" She shook her head, looking bewildered.

He regarded her closely, wondering why she was so naïve. "Madam, it is dangerous to be related to me. Rebels and other seedy persons would enjoy to gain power over me by harming my only son. It is a dangerous time. As the son of my housekeeper he would be safe. He could go to school like any normal child, play like any normal boy and do stupid things like any average boy. As my son, every move of him would be watched, measured and assessed. I wish the best for my son, not the worst."

She nodded calmly. "But then? He will not always be a child. He will grow up. And if he is your son, how about that magic of yours, will he be able to do that as well?"

Vader nodded. "Yes, he will develop Force sensitivity. It is quite possible he shows some kind of manifestation already. The Emperor must not know anything about it. Otherwise my son is as good as dead. I can arrange for training for my son together with yours. Later on your son might be able to apply to a military academy when he is old enough and start a career. And mine...I am not sure yet. It all depends on the developments."

She shook her head and looked at her brandy, taking another sip.

"Well, you tell me that you want to dump your boy with me, watch him from the distance and just play the benevolent employer that kindly takes an interest in his servants children?"

"Something like that, yes."

"Sounds pretty stupid." She sneered and refilled her glass.

He grumbled. "Madam, I am well aware that this plan needs some minor adjustments but do you have any better idea?"

She tilted her head. From the looks of her, he realized that she was not used to brandy. "I think that you should have a brandy too, and then you should try to make me believe for one second that you will hunt through the whole galaxy looking for Luke, finding and then telling him "Hi, I am your mom's boss. I am such a great guy that I rip every asteroid apart just to find you!"

Vader sighed deeply. He could see her point. And damn, he needed a brandy.

He got up from his seat and into his chamber, shedding the mask and attaching an oxygen tube to his larynx.

Arleenas breath stopped for a moment, she saw badly scarred tissue on the back of his head and had to strain her ears when she heard a muffling sound. "Your problem, not mine if you don't like the looks, close your eyes." He was in absolutely no mood to be considerate. He took a larger glass from the cabinet and came back to his desk, filling it with brandy and emptying it equally fast, refilling it and sitting down again.

Arleena quickly emptied her glass and held it towards the bottle to get a more as well as gaining time to mask her irritation by keeping herself busy.

He hesitated for a second. "Are you sure you can take more, Madam?" His voice was almost soundless, more like the wheezing of a ripped bellow but she was close enough to understand him. Arleena was not sure what he referred to, his looks or the brandy. She nodded, trying to look undisturbed and sober. Lord Vader refilled her glass generously and studied her face.

"Well, I think I need one." She continued sipping the liquid fire. When her eyes hesitantly wandered up to his face, her gaze was met by a pair of blue eyes that still shone out of his scarred face. With a pang she realized that Luke had inherited his fathers eyes. His lips were thin, barely showing above the high collar of his breath mask. She could see lines of pain edged into the scar tissue but Arleena could still make out some kind of face, neglected by light and probably joy as well.

"I think you should tell Luke!"

"Yes, sure!" He sipped and appeared lost in thought."Most of the time I will be on Coruscant. There is no need for a father that is most of the time on some business trip."

"And? My husband is dead, he only had one boy!"

Vader sneered and got a refill. "I can have your records altered. That is no problem."

"Telling him is much more difficult. If the boy is yours, he is far from stupid. How will he feel when he realizes that he has that magic, but not his "brother". And I am not his mom either. He will find out!"

"Fine, I can see your point, Madam" Growling he took a larger gulp of his drink and banged the glass onto the table spilling some droplets of brandy. "Then I tell him his dad was a Jedi and I owe his dad something...let's say a "life debt" and that's why I look after him and give him to you. Nobody could say that is unreasonable. I do not adopt a Jedi brat, but I damn well can hide him away. I am a sneaky bastard, you know."

His eyes widened when the only answer he received was outright laughter.

It was a novelty that another human laughed about anything he said. "Milord, promise me one thing, never attempt to write a holo novel. Your plots are terrible!"

A small grin creeped up into his face. "That bad?" He continued drinking.

For a while they both drank in silence, concentrating on the sharp impact the brandy had on their taste buds and the problem ahead.

Arleena allowed her mind to wander with the alcohol and frowned suddenly. "Didn't you kill all the Jedi?"

Vader shook his head. "All? Hardly. Most were finished under Order 66 by early versions of Stormtroopers. I killed a few hundred, not more. And I cleaned up after Order 66 because some divisions tended to be a bit sloppy."

"Do you hate the Jedis? You were a Jedi, were you not?"

Strangely the question did not bother him much.

"Yes, I was a Jedi once. But then, I have been a lot of things."

Arleena laughed loudly. "Sure, you worked on a waste disposal site!"

Vader looked at his brandy and smirked. "Actually, I did."

Arleena smiled. "Yeah, sure. You make fun of me, Milord." She giggled into her glass.

Vader grinned slightly and shook his head, taking another sip. "Madam, I was raised on a waste disposal site. I learned reading by studying regulations like: "_Metals and metal products shall be identified and marked in accordance with applicable Republican standards. This requirement applies to direct charges as well as to items procured for store, shop or floor stock, or for use on construction projects. Additional markings not covered by Republican standards should be used to show special properties, corrosion data, or test data as required. The preferred process is for the marking to be done in the manufacturing process, but it may be applied by suppliers when circumstances warrant_" He had to stop several times to gain oxygen but recited fluently the still valid regulations.

Arleena stared at him open mouthed. "You are drunk, Milord." She shook her head, giggling and allowing him to refill both their glasses.

"Well, Madam. It seems I am. And? So are you! Nobody will believe it anyway. Not even Levellen. So what?!

They looked at each other and Arleena started laughing again. A moment later an almost mute, wheezing laughter joined her as they shared the mental picture.

Some time later Arleena staggered back to her rooms, sniggering. Vader was indeed a very normal person if given a chance. She had agreed to be Luke's adopted mother and keeping silent about his father unless the circumstances demanded the truth. Then she would first confer with Lord Vader before rushing into action. In return Vader had promised to pull some strings when the time was right to get to her husband's killer.

He would keep his end of the bargain, she knew it. And she would keep hers. She hoped where ever Luke was, that the boy was secure and well until his father had finally found him.

And she strongly doubted that he would keep quiet about being Luke's father, no matter how much Lord Darth Vader insisted on it.

Lord Vader struggled into his bed. He was drunk, he would have a hangover tomorrow. But right now he felt good. This insolent female had made him laugh. Suddenly all the pains seemed less bothersome. He had a son, he would find him, he would have a kind of strange family. Arleena would take care of the boy, he could see him grow up. Maybe he had only a short time left, his body was failing, his job was dangerous. But there was someone that needed him, someone that he could care for and when the time came, someone to become his heir.

He was not a burned, dying twig anymore. A new sprig had emerged from the ashes. And he would fight for this sprig with every bit of strength left in him.


End file.
